- What to do -
Le Hutereau is ideally situated in the north of the Mayenne department, just 15 km south of Normandy and 10 km from the border with Brittany. Nestled in the heart of the French countryside you are more likely to see a cow than a car. However, we are surrounded by numerous towns and villages which offer a diversity of activities and an abundance of interesting places to visit and explore.
For those who want to relax and enjoy the peace and tranquillity which Le Hutereau offers, we have a heated swimming pool with plenty of space for sun bathing and ample grounds to sit and ponder or read a book in the shade of the trees.
For those who want to relax and enjoy the peace and tranquillity which Le Hutereau offers, we have a heated swimming pool with plenty of space for sun bathing and ample grounds to sit and ponder or read a book in the shade of the trees.
Use this QR code to download the Mayenne Tourism app to your phone. It is very useful to find restaurants, events, activities and places to visit.
|
Les Jardin des Renauldies. This beautiful English garden is a lovely place for a stroll at any time of the year. Open from March until October, it has a beautiful display of seasonal flowers and trees. It also has special events throughout the year, including an Easter egg hunt, spring fete, rose week, maize maze, honey festival and a pumpkin festival. (3km)
|
|
Leisure Park at Gorron. As well as a delightful riverside walk there are also activities for all the family including a tree-top rope course, canoeing, 'swin golf', paint-balling and water rafting. Several of our guests have said that it was the best tree top adventure they have ever been on. At Gorron there are 4 levels starting with children aged 4 and over up to sportif for the over 12s (not for the faint-hearted!). (5km)
|
|
The local towns and villages have an abundance of interesting geocaches to find. Use our free Wifi to download your day's hunt and start looking in medieval stone walls, alongside beautiful rivers and in and around ancient dolmen and standing stones. For those who haven't a clue what I'm talking about, Geocaching is a real-world treasure hunt that is played by thousands all over the globe. The idea is that participants, called Geocachers, hide caches all over the world and in all sorts of places and environments (in forests, cities, parks or even underwater!), they then post the coordinates of their cache on the Internet. Fellow Geocachers plug the coordinates into their GPS unit and head off in search of these Geocaches.
|
|
Fontaine Daniel has a factory which has been producing fine soft furnishing materials for the past 200 years.
Take a stroll around the lake or enjoy a meal in one of its two restaurants, La Forge or Le Petit Monde. We can recommend both! You can also visit the toiles de mayenne shop. Take a look at their website: http://www.toiles-de-mayenne.com/ |
|
Mayenne is a small town on the Mayenne river in the north of the Mayenne department. This is the only town in France which has the same name as the river and the departement. The town is known for its castle and riverside walks, and the surrounding area for its cider. The medieval castle and museum are Mayenne’s most popular attraction. The majority of the information in the museum is translated into English and the lifts make the whole building accessible for those with reduced mobility. Allow at least an hour to visit and don’t miss a ride in the lift with its panoramic view of the river. If you fancy a walk along the river drive towards Laval, go past the hypermarket and turn right at the Campanile hotel. Follow the road down and to the left by the Beau Rivage hotel. Start your walk from here and follow the tow-path downstream away from the town. Here you can enjoy beautiful countryside views during your peaceful stroll or bike ride. All along the tow-path are the old lock-keepers cottages, some of which have been turned into little shops.
|
|
Fougères. One of the main reasons for visiting Fougères is to see its magnificent castle which is one of the finest fortresses in Europe. The current castle dates from the 12th century and consists of three enclosures whose walls are dotted with towers. As you walk around the castle its history is brought to life using a digital audio guide.
This little town on the Brittany-Normandy border also has a lovely medieval district and a lively Saturday-morning market. |
|
Enjoy cycling in a special 'velo' along the old railway track at the village of Saint Loup du Gast. A 6 kilometers (round trip) will take you through the Mayenne countryside and over the river on the Rosserie viaduct.
Open from Easter to the end of October, every weekend and public holidays from 11 am to 6 pm and every day from July to August from 11 am to 6 pm. Duration: about 1 hour |
|
Vitré was once one of the region’s most important towns. It's a beautiful town with medieval buildings and a fairytale castle. Enjoy a walk around the shops or take a walk along the river.
|
|
Cycling. The area around Le Hutereau is relatively flat and car free, which makes it an ideal location for using a bike to get around and explore the local towns and villages. As well as the roads there are plenty of easy tracks alongside rivers and through woods. We have barns available for securing your bikes when not in use.
|
|
Saint Denis de Gastines is a medium-sized village with all the local amenities (a cosy restaurant, a bar, a small supermarket, two bakeries, a pharmacy, a bank, a post office and a taxi service).
|
|
Les Bizuels is a lovely place to have a walk either along an old railway, through the woods or around the park. It has picnic areas, playgrounds, crazy golf and a fitness run (CRAPA).
|
|
Domfront. This beautiful medieval town is situated next to the river La Varenne in the Normandie-Maine Regional Natural Park.
The town itself was once fortified, and many of the towers still survive, along with sections of the ramparts. The old town has narrow cobbled streets lined with half-timbered houses interspersed with pleasant cafes and open squares. |
|
The pretty city of Laval is the capital of the Mayenne departement. A charming château sits on a rocky outcrop and you can climb to the top of the keep for some great views of the city. Inside the castle you can explore the world of Naïve Art at the Musée d'Art Naïf. It is a unique collection in Europe with art created from wood, stone, cloth, recycled materials and media installations. The Jardin de la Perrine is a terraced garden with beautiful views over the Mayenne, the lower town and the castle keep.
|
|
The Musée Robert Tatin at Cossé-le-Vivien is a day out for art lovers.
Robert Tatin was a French artist and outside-architect. In 1962, when he was 60 years old, he bought an old house near Cossé-le-Vivien and for the next 21 years along with his wife, Lise, he created a garden full of his sculptures and paintings. Enjoyed by all ages. Wheelchair friendly. English spoken. Plenty of parking and a great place for the children to run around. |
|
The Chateau at Craon is a lovely day out . Enjoy a walk around the 47 hectares of gardens and grounds with various lakes, ponds and a river. Experience the beautiful inside of the chateau and the other buildings such as the stables, the orangerie, and wash house.
|
|
Rennes is the capital city of Brittany. It's known for its medieval half-timbered houses and grand Rennes Cathedral. Parc du Thabor includes a rose garden and aviary. South of the Vilaine river, the Musée des Beaux-arts displays works by Botticelli, Rubens and Picasso. The Champs Libres cultural center houses the Musée de Bretagne (Brittany Museum) and Espace des Sciences, featuring a planetarium.
|
|
Saint Malo has a lovely sandy beach, but is better known for its walled town with cobbled streets and tall granite buildings. Take a tour on the little train to get your bearings or enjoy a bracing walk around the ramparts. Enjoy a meal in one of the many bars or restaurants and spend some time browsing the little shops in the narrow streets.
|
|
Mont Saint Michel is one of France’s most popular tourist attractions, but despite huge numbers of tourists, both the abbey and the narrow alleys below still manage to transport visitors back to the Middle Ages.
This is a great day out and is well worth the long climb to the top! It has been described as a magical island topped by a gravity-defying medieval monastery. |
|
Brocantes. For those of you who enjoy rummaging through the odd antique shop or brocante we have a fantastic selection to keep you amused. We have two brocantes just down the road in Ernée, a new brocante specialising in 1970's furniture at Chantrigné and an Emmaüs store just bursting with old traditional French Furniture and knick-knacks. If that isn't enough for you, there are also vide greniers (car-boots) held all over the area most weekends.
|
|
Changé has a 27 hole golf course in a gently rolling landscape, ideally situated on the banks of the Mayenne offering an excellent challenge for golfers of all abilities and open all year round.
18 holes, par 72 – 6790 yards, 25-bay driving range (15 under cover and 10 open), 1 putting green. Address: La Chabossière, 53810, Changé-les-Laval, Mayenne, France. Website: www.laval53-golf.com |
|
Fishing. There are several lakes for coarse fishing within a couple of kilometres of Le Hutereau and plenty more in the surrounding countryside. The river Mayenne is excellent for river fishing.
|
Prenons de la hauteur en Pays de la Loire - Lassay-les-Châteaux |
Frosty weather at Le Hutereau |
Le Hutereau, 53500, St-Denis-de-Gastines, Mayenne, France
LeHutereau@gmail.com
LeHutereau@gmail.com
